Contact maker and interrupter.



W. O. BRINTON, JR.

CONTACT MAKER Am) INTBRRUPTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1914.

1,1 29,4466 Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. BRIN'TON, JR., OF MANOA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND

' EDWIN S. PHILIPS, OF KENNETT SQUARE, PENNSYLVANIA.

Application filed. June 16, 1914.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVILLIAM C. BRIN- ToN, J r., a citizen of'the United States, residing at Manoa, county of Delaware, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Contact Makers and Interrupters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved means for opening and closing the primary circuit in a single spark ignition system for automobiles. In such a system it is necessary that the circuit should be closed with certainty, but only momentarily in order to avoid a quick jump in amperage and burning out of the electrical connections and insulation. It has been found impracticable to accomplish this result by actuating the circuit-closing member directly by a part moving with the camor timer-shaft, but it has been found feasible to effect the result by actuating the circuit-closing member through an intermediate member which is directly actuated by a part moving with the time shaft. Such an arrangement is disclosed in an application filed by me June 4, 1914, Serial No. 842,850, upon which the invention of this application is an improvement.

It is desirable that the primarily-actuated member should, in the advance movement positively imparted to it by the timer shaft, positively actuate the secondarily-actuated member, so that the closing of the circuit shall be positive. Such an arrangement is among those disclosed in said application, and is operative, if carefully and permanently adjusted and kept reasonably free from dirt, under all conditions of practical operation. It is desirable, however, that the structure be such as to be proof against variations in positions of the parts due to entry of dirt or other causes andalso that the successful operation should not involve careful regulation of the relative strength of the springs used to restore the members to,

and maintain them in, normal inoperative position. These results, as well as other necessary and desirable functions, are secured in thecontact maker and interrupter forming the subject-matter of this application, one preferred embodiment of my in- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1 915.

Serial No. 845,353.

which the invention is applied is unnecessary to the understanding of my invention, as it -1S known in the art, and furthermore a system to which the invention is applicable is disclosed in my s'aid application. It

is sufficient to say that my contact maker and interrupter is actuated from a shaft a, which may be either the timer shaft or a shaft driven from or in harmony with the timer shaft. On the shaft a is secured a collar Z) carrying radially extending trip-pins c. On a bracket (Z conveniently secured in fixed relation to the shaft 0 is a bell-crank lever (Z. One arm of the bell crank has an inclined or cam face which is adapted to be engaged by the trip pins as they rotate. The other arm of the bell-crank (Z has a slot 0 engaging a pivot pin 7' on the bracket (Z. A spring normally holds the bell-crank against a stop 71,. The stop it is so positioned that the lever (Z can swing in one direction only on the pivot pin 7 or can slide bodily in the direction of extension of the slot 6. The lever (Z so slides when the normal direction of rotation is reversed and then swings on the pivot pin 7" to enable the actuating trip-pin c to clear the lever. It has a similarsliding movement under ,other conditions, as will be hereinafter described. \Vhendn the normal direction of rotation of the trip-pins 0, they engage the inclined end of the lever (Z, the lever will swing on its pivot pin 7 without sliding in the slote,

Fig. 2 is a plan and, through the circuit closing lever, close the circuit, as hereinafter described. On anv other pin '2' is pivoted thecircuit closing lever L. This lever is also a bell-crank and is normally held by a spring m against a stop at. The two bell-cranks (Z and it are located in or about the same plane and are pivoted on parallel axes. Both levers are L-shaped, the lower arms of the two levers extending toward each other. The stop or engages the inner face of the upper arm of the lever Z: and is located above the pivot i. The adjacent ends of the lower arms of the two levers (Z and 7c are beveled and are so located that in both the fo ward and return ver is. The lever It carries a contact 8. I

prefer to provide in the outer face of the upper arm of the lever is a shallow recess 0 and provide an outwardly extending flanged head p overhanging this recess and mount the contact son a-spring arm 1", secured at its lower end to the outer face of the vertical arm of the lever 70. This arm r overlies the recess 0 and its upper end extends behind the flange on the head 79. The contact 8 is adapted to close the circuit by engaging a contact supported on a spring arm u.

As hereinbefore stated, when a trip pin'c, in its normal direction of rotation, engages the cam on the end of the upright arm of the lever 03, it tends to push the lever forwardly and downwardly. Forward movement of the lever 03 is prevented by the engagement between the pin'f and the end wall of the slot 6.. The downward movement imparted end of the. lever is.

to the upper arm of the lever cl necessarily swings the lever onits pivot so that the end of its lower arm moves upwardly and en gages,-slides upon and passes beyond the This positively moves upwardly lower arm of the lever and swings the upper arm out causing the contacts s and t to engage, which engagement, however, is only momentary, because the spring m immediately returns the lever is to On the return movement it again engage, but the directionof mo-ement of the lower arm of lever d is such as to tend to move down the lower end of lever This is prevented by the stop it and therefore the lever cl is itself bodily moved backward, this being permitted by the pin 7 and slot 6. As soon as the lever d passes beyond the lever is, the spring 9 restores the lever' k to normal position. It will be observed that in this construction and arrangement, the relative strength of the springs g andm is unimportant and is no factor inthe, operation, becausejhe lever cannot move leveric, except in thedirection necessaryto makecontact, which the lever 45 does not even tend to do except in itsforward movements 'At" the, same timethe di- -'rection of-m'overnent' ofthe lever'icfis in the same planeias the-direction ofmovement of the lever d5 and the lower farms of theftw'o levers move in'fthe same direction, which tion, what I- claim and. desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

' 1. In a contact device, a movable member adapted to be primarily actuated in opposite directions, a second movable member pivotallysupported in such manner .andin a 5. In a contact, device, a l .L-shaped levers extending in'the same plane such relation to the first member as to be engaged thereby in the latters movement and tend to bemoved from its normal position in one direction or the other dependent upon the latters direction-of movement, a stop preventing the movement of the second member in one direction from its normal position, and means slidably supporting the first member and permitting it to yield bodily under resistance to movement of the second member.

2. In a contact device, a member adapted for primary actuation, means pivotally and slidably supporting the said member, means f" positively swing said member forwardly on its pivot, a spring tending to move and movement and adapted to swing said member- -backwardly onits pivot, 'a second-movable member adapted to be engaged by the hold said member in position for pivotal" first ber. in, the latters pivotal movement in both directions and to thereby tend to move in opposite directions from its normal position, and" a' stop preventing the movement of the second member on the return movement of the first member, where by the latter yields bodily to clear the second member.

3. In a-contact device, two levers pivoted :on' parallel axes, means to periodically and positively actuate one lever and thereby cause it to positively move the other lever 'from its normalposition to close the C11- .from its normal position, one of said levers being also bodily movable, tension means adapted to restore bothf levers to their normal position when moved away therefrom,

and means'to periodically actuate one of said levers In one, ourectlon;

andhaving. approximating arms extending tow'ardl each. other, one of said arms being slotted in the direction of extension of the arm, a pivot pinengaging said slot, a stop under said arm, the second lever being pivfoted on an axis parallel to that on which the first-lever is pivoted, means to periodically swing the first lever on its pivot away from said stop thereby causing its said arm to engage the said arm of the second lever plurality of ing, on its return, beyond its normal position, thereby causing the first lever to be bodily moved by the second lever in the direction'of said slot until said arms clear 6. In a contact device, a movable member 'adapted to be prnnarily actuated in opposite directions, a second movable member pivotally supported in such manner and in such relation to the first member as to be engaged thereby in the latters forward movement secondmember.

7. In a contact device, a' plurality of le-' and thereby moved into circuit closing position, tension means to return both. levers to their normal position, a stop preventing the movement of the second-member beyond its. normal position in its return movement, and also preventing its movement into circuit closing position'in thereturn movement of the first member, and means slidablysupporting the first member andpermitting .it to yield bodily vers extending in the same plane and having approximating parts extending toward each other, one of said levers being pivotally supported and also bodily retractable away from the other lever, a stop'engaging the first lever, the second lever being pivoted on after its actuation of the an axis parallel to that on which the first "lever is pivoted, means to periodically swing the first lever on its pivot away from its 1-;

stop, thereby causing it to engage the second lever and swing it away from its normal position into circuit closing position, tension means adapted to return both levers to normal position," and a stop preventing the secondlever from moving, on its return, beyond its normal position.

8. Ina contact device, an L-shaped primarily operable lever having a slot in one arm, a pin engaging said slot adapted to act as a pivot for the lever, a stop engaging said lever, there being a cam on the other arm through which the lever is swung on its pivot,'a circuit closing lever pivoted on axis parallel to that on which the first lever is pivoted and adapted, in the forward move ment of the primarily operable arm to be swung on its pivot into contact closing position, tension means adapted to return both arms to their normal positions, and a stop limiting the return movement of the circuit closing lever,

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, on this 11th da of June, 1914. r ILLIAM C. BRINTON, JR. Witnesses:

M. M. HAMILTON, ELWA L. I 

